A 52-year-old registered sex offender from Des Moines, Washington, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced this week. Edward James Creed, who was already under the supervision of the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC), was caught with unapproved electronic devices and disturbing content on his phone, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Creed, whose prior conviction for child rape dates back to 2008, could now face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years if convicted on the new charges. He is expected to be arraigned next week. The investigation, which unfolded in March of this year, started after a DOC community corrections officer found to have Creed collected images of child sexual abuse during a review of his phone. Per the indictment announcement, more electronic devices were later discovered in his room at a sex offender's residence, which is currently under forensic examination.

Creed's history with the law is a lengthy one, involving nearly a decade served for a Kitsap County conviction for the rape of a child. Released in 2017, he was briefly taken back into custody two years later. The grand jury's indictment has brought his criminal past back into the limelight, signaling a serious crackdown on offenses related to child sexual abuse. as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The current case is the result of collaborative investigative efforts by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson. The detailed findings and progress of this case will continue to be closely followed as the court proceedings develop.